


Under Pressure

by Gobayern16



Series: Star Wars Whumptober 2020 [4]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Earthquakes and Associated Destruction, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi being awesome, M/M, Podfic Welcome, Trapped, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26816776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gobayern16/pseuds/Gobayern16
Summary: Where the burnt-out and half destroyed building had once stood, there is now only a giant pile of rubble.Echo is nowhere to be seen.
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | Echo/CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555
Series: Star Wars Whumptober 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948018
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54
Collections: Echo&Fives, Randomness





	Under Pressure

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Whumptober Prompt #4: Running out of time - Collapsed Building  
> Thank you to the wonderful RogueLadyVader for beta-ing!

“Heeere, kitty kitty kitty,” Fives croons, slowly reaching for the tooka. "C’mere. I'm not going to hurt you." Fives is almost within arm's reach when the tooka suddenly sits up straight. It's ears twitch once, twice, before it bolts into the burnt-out building behind it. 

"No, wait! Come back!" Fives lunges for the retreating tooka, fingertips grazing its tail before it disappears. "Aw man, I wanted to pet it…” Behind him, Jesse snorts.

“You probably scared it off with your ugly mug!" He cackles, dodging the rocks Fives throws in retaliation.

"I'm surrounded by children," Echo mutters, watching as Fives and Jesse begin to wrestle. He gets up and dusts himself off, putting on his helmet and turning towards the building the tooka had disappeared into. _Fives was going about it the wrong way,_ he muses, checking his belt for a ration bar. _Only an amateur doesn’t use food to coax out animals._

*****************

Five looks up from where he's buried under Jesse, their wrestling match having turned into an impromptu cuddle session.

"Hey, where'd Echo go?"

"I think he went after your tooka," Kix replies, not bothering to lift his eyes from his datapad. Fives’ spluttered response of it not being his tooka is lost in the sudden rumbling and shaking that takes over the whole city. Panicked shouts echo all around as the earthquake gains intensity. 

Fives and Jesse cling to each other, seconds feeling like minutes as the quake drags on.

Buildings crumble around them, glass raining down on their heads in a dangerous shower. Fives clutches Jesse even after the quake stops, utterly frozen as the destruction continues.

At long last, the dust and debris settle, things stable for the moment. Troopers call out to one another, checking in. Kix moves to Jesse then Fives, checking them over for injuries. Fives pushes him away.

"Echo!" he gasps, staggering to his feet. He turns towards the building from earlier and freezes.

Where the burnt-out and half destroyed building had once stood, there is now only a giant pile of rubble.

Echo is nowhere to be seen.

"Echo!” Fives screams, rushing towards the rubble. “Echo! Can you hear me?” He frantically digs, throwing pieces away from him in every direction.

“Comm the General and Captain Rex!” Jesse barks at Kix, running to help Fives. Hardcase and Dogma move forward as well, hearing the commotion. "Fives! See if you can comm Echo.” Fives nods shakily.

"Echo? Come in, Echo." A crackle of static, then -

"Fives?"

"Echo! Are you alright? Where are you?" Fives’ voice cracks in relief. 

“I'm in the building the tooka ran into. It fell down on top of me, buried me. Fives... " Echo’s voice quivers. "There's water coming from somewhere, it's already at my ankles." Fives stares at the comm in his hand, horrified, before redoubling his efforts.

"Hang in there, Echo. We're gonna get you.”

Jesse sees General Skywalker and Captain Rex arrive, and immediately updates them on the situation. 

"Sirs. Echo is trapped in that collapsed building. Fives was able to reach him on comms. He said the space he's in is rapidly filling with water." 

General Skywalker curses in Huttese, striding over to the pile of debris. Jesse and Captain Rex watch as he immediately begins shifting things with the Force. Working together, they make steady progress towards freeing Echo.

The hopeful mood comes crashing down as a startled yelp emanates from Fives’ comm.

"Echo? What's wrong?" Panting breaths and splashing answer Fives’ question. "Echo?"

"The water’s rising faster!" Echo cries, voice garbled. "It was at my stomach but now it's almost at my neck! Fives!” Echo’s panicked voice devolves into coughing.

They’re out of time. 

"Echo!" Fives’ hysteric scream spurs General Skywalker into action. 

"Everybody clear the site!" He barks, arms rising in preparation to use the Force. Jesse grabs Fives, hauling him away. For one agonizing moment, nothing happens. Then the whole pile explodes upwards, water rushing everywhere.

Not explodes, Jesse realizes, watching in awe as the pieces stay suspended in mid-air. But lifted up.

“Somebody grab Echo!" The General grunts, strain obvious in his voice. Captain Rex darts forward and grabs him from amidst the floating pile. As soon as they clear the debris, General Skywalker lets his arms drop, the rubble falling with it.

Jesse lets go of Fives, who immediately runs to his riduur. He pulls Echo into his lap, yanking off his helmet.

"Echo? Cyare, can you hear me?" 

Echo chokes, coughing up water. Fives hurriedly tilts him to his side, mumbling soothing nonsense as Echo wheezes, trembling in his arms. Kix kneels next to them, running his scanner over Echo.

"You're all good, vod,” he says softly. "But come to medical immediately if you have any trouble breathing, okay?" Kix waits for twin nods of understanding before leaving, shooing the rest of their brothers away.

"Force, Echo. I thought I lost you,” Fives whispers wetly. "When you started coughing…” Fives sobs, hugging Echo tight. Echo returns the embrace, hands clutching at Fives.

"But you didn't. You got me out in time." They sit there like until Fives’ sobs gradually slow down and stop. Echo wipes away his tears, then stands, offering him a hand.

"Come on. Almost dying has worked up my appetite. Let's find the others and get something to eat." 

"Okay." Fives lets Echo pull him to his feet. He swings an arm around his shoulders, needing the touch to remind himself that Echo was safe. 

"Hey Fives?"

"Yeah Echo?”

"You were right. Tookas are as soft as they look."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos greatly appreciated. :)
> 
> **Permissions:** All my works, including this one, can be translated and podficced without first asking my express permission. I ask only that you credit me as the original author and provide a link back to the original work. For anything else, please ask first. Thanks.


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